1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gear-driven change-over mechanism, and more particularly to a gear-driven change-over mechanism adapted for use in a tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In certain prior art tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus magnetic tape is transported at a higher speed in the fast-forward and rewind modes than in the reproducing or record modes. When a fast-forward push-button is depressed, change-over gears are engaged with a gear fixed on a take-up reel mount and another gear fixed on a capstan. Thus, the rotation of the capstan is transmitted through the change-over gears to the take-up reel mount and the magnetic tape is transported at the higher speed. In a like manner, when a rewind push-button is depressed, the change-over gears are engaged with a gear fixed on a supply reel mount and another gear fixed on the capstan so that the rotation of the capstan is transmitted through the change-over gears to the supply reel mount to transport the magnetic tape at the higher speed in the opposite direction to the transporting direction for the fast forward mode.
In tape recorders of the type described above when the fast-forward or rewind push-button is depressed to place the recorder in the fast-forward or rewind modes, the change-over gears are moved into engagement with the take-up or supply reel mount and the capstan by means of levers, cams and other linkages which are interconnected with the fast-forward or rewind push-buttons. With such an interconnecting mechanism the change-over gears move in response to the pushing stroke of the fast-forward or rewind push-buttons. Thus, when the push-button is pushed slowly the change-over gears are similarly moved and approach the take-up or supply reel gear and the capstan gear slowly. In such a case, the change-over gears are transiently and incompletely engaged with the take-up or supply reel gears and the capstan gear so that some rub between the gears occurs to make a gear noise. Moreover, such an action has the tendency to wear the gears. Further, even when the push-button is pushed rapidly it is difficult to avoid the above-noted gear noise.
The above-described problem is not limited to the gear-driven change-over mechanism for a tape recorder. It often arises generally in any gear-driven change-over mechanism in which one gear is moved into engagement with another gear.